Journal of Porous Materials最新文献

In the current experiment, more importance has been laid upon optimisation of CNS nanoparticles with graphene oxide so as to increase the efficacy of the water splitting reaction. Preparation of CNS nanoparticles was carried out using a mixture of CNS and GO, and GO@CNS nanocomposites were analysed for their morphological characteristics via XRD, FE-SEM, and TEM techniques. BET analysis was carried out for GO@CNS and pore size and surface area were determined as 2.11 nm and 50.665 m²/g, respectively. After carrying out electrochemical impedance spectroscopy on the GO@CNS material, the observed R_ct values were 10.9Ω, indicating that the electrocatalyst is a good catalyst for both hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In this case, a low overpotential value of 193 mV, with a Tafel slope of 51.55 mV/dec, was achieved for the HER reaction. Similarly, the material was observed to have an overpotential value of 140 mV, with a Tafel slope of 147 mV/dec, for the OER reaction.

Sulfamethoxazole (SMX) has increasingly emerged as an emerging contaminant due to its environmental persistence, potential biotoxicity, and contribution to the development of antibiotic resistance. This study investigated the adsorption efficiency of SMX onto the Universitetet i Oslo-67 (UiO-67) metal-organic framework (MOF). UiO-67 was synthesized using a solvothermal method with thermal activation (A-UiO-67). X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), N₂ adsorption–desorption, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and elemental mapping analyses were performed to investigate the crystal structure, functional groups, morphology, elemental composition, and surface area of the A-UiO-67. The synthesized adsorbent showed a microporous structure, a large BET surface area (2097.71 m²/g), and good crystallinity and reusability. Kinetic adsorption studies indicated that SMX adsorption onto A-UiO-67 followed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model, suggesting that the adsorption rate is primarily governed by chemical interactions between SMX molecules and active sites of the A-UiO-67 surface, rather than by mass transfer or diffusion. The findings reveal high adsorption capacity (103.2 mg/g) when the adsorption dosage is 200 mg/L and the initial SMX concentration is 50 mg/L within 60 min of contact time. Among the three adsorption isotherms (Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin models) the Freundlich (0.98) and Temkin (0.95) models best fit the studies. This study highlights the promising potential of thermally activated MOFs as an effective adsorbent for antibiotics in wastewater treatment and environmental remediation.

MIL-53(Al), a series of bimetallic MIL-53(Al, Cu_x) and a dual modified MIL-53(Al, Cu_0.1) – SO₃H catalysts were synthesized to investigate the synergistic effects of mixed-metal node incorporation and sulfonation on the catalytic activity for biodiesel production and esterification reactions. The catalysts were characterized by several techniques, and a correlation was established between Cu/Al molar ratio in the MIL-53(Al, Cu_x) catalysts and the structural, surface and acidic properties leading to optimized metal ratio. The microporosity and crystalline structure of MIL-53(Al) were unaffected by the Cu²⁺ incorporation, while a significant enhancement of the BET surface area and pore volume of MIL-53(Al, Cu_0.1) was observed. Potentiometric titration proved the enhanced acidity of bimetallic MIL-53(Al, Cu_x) compared to pristine MIL-53(Al), while a substantial further enhancement observed following sulfonation. The catalytic activity of MIL-53(Al, Cu_0.1) – SO₃H catalyst reached 94.3% and 97.5% for biodiesel production and esterification reactions, respectively, highlighting its potential as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst. Both Lewis and Brønsted acid sites provided cooperative functions in the proposed catalytic mechanism.

The development of multifunctional adsorbents combining high adsorption efficiency and easy recovery remains a major challenge in wastewater treatment. In this study, a magnetic iron-doped activated carbon was prepared from cypress cone waste via phosphoric acid activation assisted by ultrasound impregnation and microwave carbonization, followed by iron incorporation through ultrasound-assisted coprecipitation of Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ precursors and subsequent thermal treatment. The material was characterized by point of zero charge determination, X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, nitrogen adsorption–desorption analysis, scanning electron microscopy, Mössbauer spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometry. The results indicated successful iron incorporation and the formation of a porous magnetic adsorbent with a specific surface area of 165.81 m²/g, a pore volume of 0.276 cm³/g, and a saturation magnetization of 33.09 emu/g, enabling efficient magnetic separation. The adsorption performance was evaluated for the removal of Basic Blue 41 dye from aqueous solutions and real textile effluent. Equilibrium data were well described by the Freundlich and Redlich–Peterson isotherms, indicating adsorption on a heterogeneous surface. Kinetic analysis showed that the Elovich model best fitted the experimental data (R² = 0.9953), suggesting adsorption on energetically heterogeneous active sites. The applicability of the adsorbent was further assessed using real textile effluent, achieving an average color removal efficiency of 96.7 ± 3.5%. Additionally, chemical oxygen demand and total organic carbon were reduced to below the detection limits of the analytical methods used. These results demonstrate the potential of the prepared magnetic activated carbon as an efficient, sustainable, and easily recoverable adsorbent for textile wastewater treatment.

Recent progress in electrochemical sensing technology has revealed the importance of advanced electrode materials for the sensitive detection of biomolecules, pharmaceutical compounds, food contaminants, and environmental pollutants. Metal-organic frameworks (MOF) materials are the promising sensing materials because of their high surface area, tunable porosity, abundant active sites, and catalytic activity. In this connection, cobalt-based MOF (Co-MOF) materials and their composites have received significant attentions due to their favorable redox behavior and capability to improve charge transfer at the electrode-electrolyte interface. In this review report, we have summarized the recent advances in Co-MOF based materials, including pristine Co-MOF, conductive composites, bimetallic Co based MOF, and MOF derived cobalt materials for electrochemical sensing applications. The reported electrochemical sensors based on Co-MOF materials have achieved excellent analytical performance in terms of limit of detection (LOD) values of 0.03 µM for rutin, 0.25 µM for hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), 0.0875 µM for furazolidone, 0.4 µM for nitrite, 0.33–8.84 µM for glucose, 2.49 ppb for lead (Pb²⁺), 0.97 nM for hippuric acid, 0.14 fM for tryptophan and 0.31 fg.mL^− 1 for ochratoxin A. In some cases, sensitivity of 781.43 µA.mM^− 1.cm^− 2 for rutin and 2412.7 µA.mM^− 1.cm^− 2 for glucose detection have also been reported using Co-MOF based materials. The improved sensing performance may be attributed to the porous framework, accessible cobalt active sites, enhanced electrochemically active surface area, and synergistic effects with conductive components such as carbon materials, metal nanoparticles, polymers and MXenes. Finally, current challenges such as limited electrical conductivity, poor long term stability, reproducibility and scalable fabrication have been discussed with future perspectives for the development of portable and reliable Co-MOF based electrochemical sensors.

Metal oxide derived from ZIF-67 loaded with Ni catalysts (Ni/Co-NC) shows high activity for the deoxygenation of lauric acid to hydrocarbons due to its acidity contributed from metal oxide (Co₃O₄ and CoO) and metal nanoparticles (Ni). The lauric acid deoxygenation using Ni/Co-NC catalyst proceeded primarily through DCO/DCO₂ pathway, with oxygen converted to CO and CO₂. All synthesized catalyst achieved more than 99% conversion of lauric acid. The 1Ni/Co-NC showed excellent deoxygenation performance owing to its appropriate acidity, resulting in the high conversion of lauric acid (99.82%) and the greater yield of undecane (63.42%) and dodecane (23.15%). As the Ni loading amount was increased from 1, 5, and 10 wt%, the characteristics of the catalysts, such as acidity, surface area, elemental composition, microstructure and morphology, varied. There were significant changes in the intensity and pattern peak from XRD and FTIR of ZIF-67 and Ni/Co-NC due to the formation of metal oxide from the ZIF-67 template catalyst through the calcination and reduction process. SEM image of the Co-NC catalyst showed small particles with a round shape and rough morphology. Whereas, 5Ni/Co-NC catalyst exhibited materials with an irregular shape and a surface full of pores. The NH₃-TPD analysis of 1Ni/Co-NC has the lowest concentration of acid sites on the catalyst, resulting in the excellent deoxygenation performance of 1Ni/Co-NC in terms of lauric acid conversion and the yield of undecane and dodecane. The reusability study using a 1Ni/Co-NC catalyst revealed that the conversion of lauric acid slightly decreased. The yield of undecane was not significantly changed, while dodecane yield was increased with an increasing number of catalysts reused.

Hierarchical MCM-22 zeolite featuring well-developed intracrystalline mesoporosity was successfully prepared through a controlled surfactant-assisted alkaline treatment. Indeed, mesoporous material was prepared by post-treatment of MCM-22 zeolite with a mixture of hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) under mild conditions. The structural, textural and chemical properties evolution induced by the treatment was investigated by (XRD, N₂ physisorption, ICP-OES, TEM, IR-Pyridine, ²⁹Si, and ²⁷Al NMR). The results indicate the development of an intracrystalline mesoporosity of approximately 3 nm throughout the zeolite crystals. This evolution is accompanied by a substantial increase in the external surface area from 266 to 690 m² g^− 1. Despite surfactant-assisted alkaline treatment for up to 48 h, the characteristic XRD reflections of MCM-22 zeolite remain clearly distinguishable, indicating that the crystalline framework is only slightly affected during mesopore formation. Furthermore, both the micropore volume and Si/Al molar ratio remain unchangeable throughout the treatment. These findings demonstrate that surfactant-assisted alkaline treatment provides a highly efficient strategy toward enhanced MCM-22 zeolite hierarchization.

Graphical Abstract

The increase in global population, extended life expectancy, and the potential of pandemic occurrence substantially elevate antibiotics consumption, thereby exacerbating concerns related to drug resistance and their toxic effects on ecosystems. Consequently, developing effective materials capable of removing antibiotics from water has attracted significant attention. This research focused on lanthanum and cerium modifications of fly ash-based NaP1 zeolite via ion exchange and wet impregnation, aiming to enhance its performance as an adsorbent for ciprofloxacin and tetracycline. Lanthanum and cerium were selected as modifiers due to their low toxicity, abundance, and cost-effectiveness. Their incorporation into NaP1 material was confirmed by structural and compositional changes. The results showed that using lanthanum for modification is more beneficial than cerium, and ion-exchanged samples yielded greater effectiveness compared to wet-impregnated ones. According to EDS elemental mapping, ion exchange promoted a homogeneous distribution of lanthanides, implying uniform formation of active sites. The adsorption of antibiotics occurred through electrostatic and cation-π interactions, ion exchange, hydrogen bonding, and coordination complexes formation. The highest sorption capacities were attained for the sample modified with lanthanum via ion exchange (235 and 190 mg g^-1 for ciprofloxacin and tetracycline), which can be attributed e.g., to faster adsorption rates of La-modified adsorbents. The reusability tests showed that materials can be used five times, which is important for minimizing secondary pollution and enhancing sustainability. These findings highlight the potential of lanthanide modification of fly ash-based zeolite as an effective approach for reducing antibiotic contamination, helping to ensure environmental safety and public health protection.

Bone tissue engineering (BTE) has emerged as a promising alternative to traditional bone grafting methods with limitations such as donor scarcity and immunogenic complications. This study evaluated the efficacy of a Sodium Alginate/Gelatin/Hydroxyapatite scaffold enhanced with Hesperetin, a bioactive flavonoid, in bone regeneration. The scaffold was fabricated using the freeze-drying technique and was characterized through various physicochemical and biological evaluations to assess its suitability for tibial regeneration. In in-silico studies were incorporated to identify Hesperetin’s potential targets of hesperetin in bone application, revealing its interaction with key osteogenic and anti-inflammatory pathways. The results indicated that the treated scaffolds exhibited improved characteristics compared with the control group. The surface morphology of the scaffolds confirmed that the porous microstructure was advantageous for cell adhesion, whereas the MTT results revealed enhanced osteoblast viability. These findings highlight the potential of flavonoid-enhanced scaffolds in regenerative medicine, offering a biocompatible and efficacious solution to bone defects.

Graphical abstract

In this study, a sustainable ternary nanocomposite photocatalyst, water hyacinth-derived porous activated carbon/ZnO/g-C₃N₄ (WHR-PAC/ZnO/g-C₃N₄), was successfully fabricated for the efficient degradation of methylene blue (MB) and rhodamine B (RhB) dyes under visible light irradiation. The prepared composite was characterized using various physicochemical techniques to investigate its structural, morphological, optical, and surface properties. The results confirmed the successful integration of ZnO and g-C₃N₄ onto the WHR-PAC surface, leading to enhanced surface area and improved charge separation efficiency. The photocatalytic activity of the synthesized nanocomposite was evaluated under different experimental conditions, including catalyst dosage, pH, dye concentration, and irradiation time. The WHR-PAC/ZnO/g-C₃N₄ composite achieved maximum degradation efficiencies of 97.8 ± 2.9% for MB within 75 min and 95.4 ± 2.9% for RhB within 90 min under visible light irradiation. Kinetic studies revealed that the degradation process followed pseudo-first-order kinetics. The enhanced photocatalytic performance was attributed to the synergistic interaction among WHR-PAC, ZnO, and g-C₃N₄, which promoted efficient charge transfer and suppressed electron–hole recombination. Furthermore, the photocatalyst exhibited excellent stability and reusability, maintaining high degradation efficiency after seven consecutive cycles. These findings demonstrate that the WHR-PAC/ZnO/g-C₃N₄ nanocomposite is a promising and environmentally friendly visible-light-driven photocatalyst for wastewater treatment applications.